The Norway shootings, where Anders Behring Breivik, calling himself a "crusader" for Christendom, killed 76 people, has shocked the world. This incident has brought forth a serious issue facing humanity -- that of prejudice, intolerance and fear psychosis. The mindset responsible for such an act is most dangerous. Whatever religious color a terrorist may wear, or reason one might hold to justify such behavior, the basic issue is a failure to realize the importance of diversity and the underlying spiritual unity of humankind. Lack of interaction between cultures, and prejudice against other cultures, can take individuals and entire societies into such disastrous situations.
Multi-cultural and multi-religious activities are necessary to remove prejudices and phobias from young minds. It is absolutely essential that all nations embrace multi-cultural and multi-religious educations and celebrate diversity. When a child grows up thinking that other religions or cultures are not good, then he or she becomes ready to take other lives or give up one's own due to the prejudiced mindset. Understanding a little about other cultures, religions and customs will help a child develop a sense of connectedness and a sense of belonging with everybody. When a sense of connectedness is present, one cannot harbor hatred for others.
All religions emphasize the principles of nonviolence, peaceful co-existence and values of friendliness, compassion and service to society. These common principles need to be highlighted and introduced early on in a child's education. Even a small section of people with prejudices and misconceptions can prove dangerous to society. Unfortunately, in every religion today, there are people who are narrow-minded and thrive on creating phobia, prejudice and erroneous perceptions about other cultures and religions. Closed mindsets, limited interactions, and a sense of disconnectedness with other cultures and communities can lead to situations that can spark such violent acts.
Spiritual education is crucial to help individuals deal with anger and hatred. Without a means to control them, anger and hatred can lead to a situation where one loses sight of reason. When the ability to reason is lost, human values of tolerance and compassion are lost. Respect for life, which is the basis for all human values, is also lost as a result.
Terrorists have no respect for life. In reality, terrorists have no religion, no nationality and no philosophy, for they are blind to reason. Lack of spiritual education gives rise to domestic and societal violence on one hand, and suicidal tendencies on the other. When a person is frustrated, angry or hateful, you cannot expect brotherhood and non-violence to prevail. The sense of connectedness in society depends on how people are oriented to the principle of Ahimsa or nonviolence. If the values of nonviolence, love, friendliness and compassion are strongly ingrained in an individual, frustration or disappointments can be handled better.
We accept food, art and music from around the world. In the same way, we need to learn to accept knowledge and wisdom from every part of the world as well. We live in an age of globalization -- we need to globalize wisdom also. Even if one part of the world lacks these human values of friendliness, tolerance and compassion, the world will not be a safe place, because that part can breed terrorism.
We need to address the root cause of these incidents of violence before it is too late. Often, peace-loving people are not proactive in promoting peace in society, and those who are proactive lack peace within. A combination of peace and dynamism is needed in society today. Though this may seem idealistic, it is not impossible. It is possible through right education and orientation. Each one of us can play a role in educating people on the human values of friendliness, compassion and non-aggression.
Human values are social and ethical norms common to all cultures and societies, as well as religions. They represent a melding of social progress and spiritual growth. Religious and community leaders should rethink how they can reduce extremist tendencies in their communities. When attention is given to the spiritual aspect of one's life, it brings up responsibility, a sense of connectedness, compassion and caring for the whole of humanity. Spirituality upholds and sustains life. It breaks down the narrow boundaries of caste, creed, religion and nationality. Spirituality gives an individual awareness of the life present everywhere. It is only through this awareness and the uplifting of human consciousness that violence in the name of religion can be eliminated.
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Yes, I know some people don’t believe in God or the devil, but the way to ascertain the devil’s existence is to look for the marks left by him. Two of the most obvious marks are: the prevalence of violence and depraved sex acts in the world. Humans cannot kill spirit creatures so we cannot eliminate violence. This meaningless violence is not limited to the humans.
Therefore, if a religion carries out violent acts, is involved in depraved sex acts and incites discord in society then it means that they are part of the devil’s crowd.
That people are fooled into thinking that the devil does not exist is summed up by the 19th century poet Charles-Pierre Baudelaire when he said: “The devil’s deepest wile is to persuade us that he does not exist.” By concealing his identity, the devil has actually raised doubts about the existence of God; if the devil doesn’t exist, wouldn’t that make God responsible for all evil? Reading some of these posts verifies this mindset. The devil is very good at deception.
Thank you for this important and timely message.
I think being civilized comes down to the individual and something within each indvidual. And spirituality can be such a tricky thing. I've known people who try to approach the subject and just go springing off into some emotional wasteland, often enough irrevocably.
I know we read that the Norweigan terrorist had a problem with people of other races. I think he felt superior to them, so much so that he felt he could decide whether they deserved to live or die. Members of government are making similar distorted decisions every day.
I think it's up to God to provide the impetus for people's desire for spiritual awareness. And of course God sometimes works through people.
A. All religions are, taken to the logical end of their views, violent.
and
B. Some religions cause more violence than others.
- Terrorists have no respect for life because they have no respect for themselves. Self-respect comes from the understanding of self-love. When one cannot see this inner love for themselves others can have a huge impact on offering this truth to them. (judgements and labels do the opposite)
- The only way to "control" anger and hatred is to dissolve the mindset that generates these thoughts and feelings. Fear is the core, and is best dissolved through the understanding that love is the great truth of one's origin, purpose and destiny in life. Again, a new way of looking at oneself leads to a new way of looking at the world. Self-awareness is always the path.
- Peace is best and most powerfully offered to the world directly from where you stand right now. remove the blocks to offering peace to yourself first, then and only then will you offer peace to everyone you meet on your daily walk. This is the true nature of the creative power of the mind and the engine behind the ripples of a change and the expansion in both a personal and collective consciousness. This collective mindset that you influence is what is responsible for all that gets created from this moment forward.
More here - www.thebookIAM.com
I deeply respect you and your mission of making people aware of their own reality. So I am deeply pained to say that your statement "All religions emphasize the principles of nonviolence, peaceful co-existence..." does not resonate with me.
It is precisely because certain religions make the "truth-claim" that their way is the only way to salvation that we have so much discord. I sincerely believe that unless such "truth-claims" are examined and rejected, and until there is an understanding and acceptance that many paths can and do exist, discord and violence will continue.
I dont think we should utter or promote these euphemisms like "All religions emphasize... peaceful co-existence..." because they do not. Hiding this because one is uncomfortable with the truth is the greatest disservice one does to promoting true tolerance.
See: http://revolutionofreason.com and http://www.youtube.com/RobertLBlackburn
Only someone truly clueless or delusional could say something so obviously false with sincerity. The rest of the article is no better.
As the sage said, "Religion poisons everything".
Ahimsa is more than just a principle of non-violence. "In the vicinity of Yoga, violent tendencies are eliminated." That is the Maharishi Effect in a nutshell. You were a participant in the ongoing project to create world peace via group meditation for years before you decided to go independent. Did you decide your teacher was incorrect?
the level of the evolution of consciousness in the world is not ready for spiritual education. if we tried to do spiritual education now the fundamentalists would scream to high heaven as will the materialists. two sides of the same coin both believing they hold the only truths.
spiritual education would soon become religious education as my religion is thee religion.
no it will be many decades or longer before the world is ready for any kind of spiritual education. maybe hundreds of years before the evolution of consciousness process in humans is ready for across the board spiritual education.
but one can hope; americans and indeed the world are big on hope not so much on change when it comes to religion and politics and economic ideologies.
One million kids on the waiting list to learn Transcendental Meditation in the city of Rio de Janeiro alone...
http://www.zimbio.com/watch/DnwwAaVC53S/Meditate+and+learn+better/AFP+TV+World
But it's not true. Deep down everyone knows dissonance alone produces no music.
As I see it, this is an inside job, one which is well underway, one which no power on earth can halt. Public support and acceptance of correct information are more an inevitibility than a requirement. I have only a sense of the dynamism the author refers to, my sense is it is not slow.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravi_Shankar_(spiritual_leader)
christians carried that paradigm right over into their religious beliefs.
why is it a human cannot see this lack of logic? could it be the ego wanting a free pass to heaven? the fear of nothingness in the end. ego wanting to be special as my religion is the only religion.
how can the human mind not see such logic that the terms unconditional love and a wrathful god demanding an atonement of sacrifice are attributes that cannot exist in the same god, entity, person, mind, consciousness, awareness, isness or whatever.
we cannot give unconditional love and then demand a sacrifice as an atonement for the sins of those creatures that we created. oh that term free will but if god knows past present and future then god would not have given man free will and end up sending 2/3 of them to hell for eternity.
me thinks you have confused the god you worship with that devil you think exists. :-)
my words have been harsh but explain to me how a human mind could think such things that are sooooooo contradictory. that word "only" in your comments is revealing.
The ego stuff doesn't make sense to me. If one wanted a religion that was an ego boost one wouldn't invent Christianity, with its emphasis on our inability to save ourselves and our total dependancy on God, as well as the extremely high demand it places on us for self sacrifice. There couldn't be a religion that is less of a ego boost and demands more humility.
Actually, the gospel is the only thing that allows God to be both loving and wrathful. On the one hand God is loving, choosing to save, but at the same time He is holy and just. If He simply let everyone off the hook for sin He would deny His own holiness and justice. But then if He just damned everyone He would fail to show His love. In taking the punishment for sin upon Himself He shows His holy hatred of sin, but also shows His love. The cross is the ultimate display of both holiness and love. As Paul says in Romans 3:26, "It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."
There are five questions each person should answer. 1. Do you have any spiritual belief? 2. To you, who is Jesus Christ? 3. Do you believe in heaven or in hell? 4. If you die where would you go? If to heaven, why would God let you into his heaven when you don’t love his only Son? 5. Finally, if what you believe is not true, would you like to know the truth?
2.) Who is Jesus Christ? - He is a Spiritual Wave on the Ocean. Like Krishna, Buddha and Mahavira. All 3 who came before him. Yet all 4 are Spiritual Giants.
3.) Heaven/Hell - They are as temporary as the Earth. Ying/Yang
4.) Where do you go when you die? If the Earth where to Fall - Where would it Fall?
5.) Why would God let you into his Heaven? Ha ha ha ha...Better stick to Vanilla Ice Cream...Rocky Road will give you nightmares
6.) Would you like to know the Truth? Truth existed before Christ and exists after him. Sorry to say Christians didn;t discover Truth. They are mudering Truth along with their Abrahamic descendant Mohammedans
ok stole that from this quote:
Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods." Einstein.
some religious humor for ya easandoval.
TAOISM: Bad things happen.
BUDDHISM: If bad things happen, it isn't really bad.
HINDUISM: This bad thing happened before.
ISLAM: If bad things happen, it is the will of Allah.
PROTESTANTISM: Let bad things happen to someone else.
CATHOLICISM: If bad things happen, you deserved it.
ATHEISM: Bad things happen and religion is to blame for it.
AGNOSTICISM: We will never know why bad things happen.
SPIRITUALISM: Evil spirits cause bad things to happen.
MORMANISM: Too busy making children for bad things to happen.
JUDAISM: Why do bad things always happen to us?
On second though, however, I must say that, because religious zealots are not listening, we must rally aroung one strong voice who tells it like it is.
If the hypocritical religious leaders who are preaching a bigoted, exclusive message and inciting people like Anders Behring Breivik and many others (like Timothy McVeigh and Mark David Chapman) before him, then it will take an authoritative voice to make a difference.
There is such a voice. But, because he does not seek power or office, and merely delivers his message in writing and in song from behind the scenes, not many people know of him yet (even though his message has been published since 2002).
The words of Lao Tzu in the Book of Tao are relevant, because he wrote: 'As for the best leaders, when their work is accomplished, the people say, We did it ourselves!"
In other words, he shows us the way to empower and liberate ourselves.
See http://cjcmp.org